Engine governor



Patented Oct. 26, 1943 j TENT OFFICE f ENGINE c-oviinnon Edward lVifClaytor, Anderson, Ind, assignor to General'Motors Corporation, Detroit,,Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application June 1, 1942, Serial No. 445,365

t Claims. (Cl. 115--34) This invention relates to'engine governors for engines used on motor boats and its object is to prevent the overspeeding of the engine which drives a mosquito boat or other high speed craft ler is unloaded; and, when the propeller, is suddenly submerged, the propeller, transmission and engine are subjected to severe shock. The governor operates to cause the engine to slow down quickly while the propelleris out of the water so that when the propeller strikesthe water again it and its driving mechanism will not be subjected to damaging shock.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from-thefol1owing description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing wherein preferred embodiments of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawing: w I

Fig. 1 is a diagram of a governor-embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagram of a modified form.

' Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawing shows a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine E for driving the propeller P of a boat B, steered by a rudder R. Engine E has a fuel intake pipe 2i controlled by a butterfly valve 22 supported by a shaft 23 carrying a" lever 24 connected at 25 with a link 2% and with a spring Z'l attached to a fixed part 23. Spring 2'! tends to rotate the valve 22 in the direction of arrow 22a to'close the Valve.

The position of the valve22 is controlled by a servo-motor 3;; which, as showmis anelectric motor of the reversible type having fields ti and wound for excitation of opposite polarity. Motor 3i drivesa shaft 33 connected by universal coupling 36 with a shaft'tfi rotatablein bearings provided by a bracket 36 and carrying a friction wheel 3l engageable with the arcuate surface 38 of a sector 39 pivoted on a stub shaft M. Sector 39 is connected by the link 26 with the throttle shaft lever 2%. Sector 39 carries two metal segments H and 52 connected respectively by wires Ma and 52a with motor fields il and- 32. A battery or other current source 43 is connected by a wire M with a lever, pivotally.

supportedby the shaft til'and having a handle 33. Lever it carries a roller M engageable with either of the metal segments M and ilor with an insulating segment it which separates the metal segments. Lever 45 carriesa pin t9 received by an arcuate slot 553 provided by the sector 39. i i

Fig. 1 shows roller ll in contact with the insulating segment 43. Therefore, the motor 39 is disconnected from the battery 43 and the valve 22 is in some position between fully closed and fullyopened. Spring 21 is not capable of moving the sector 39 so long as its surface 33 is engaged with the friction Wheel 31, since the friction of the motor 30 may be sufficient to resist the spring 21; or the motor 3% might be provided with a brake which is applied when either of the motor fields is disconnected. When it is desired to move the valve 22 further toward open posi tion, which wouldibe effected by counterclockwise rotation of the shaft 23, the lever 66 is moved clockwise to carry the roller 41 into a certain position in contact with the segment 4!. This causes motor field 3! to be connected with the battery 43 and the motor turns the wheel 3) in' a counterclockwise direction thereby causing sector 39 to'move clockwisejand to move the valve 22 counterclockwise during further open position.

This movement continues until the segment ii moves away from the roller t'l and the dead spot segment 48 contacts with it. Then rotation of the motor 36 ceases, and the valve 22. remains, in the position which has been set by the lever 48. Conversely, whenit is desired to move the yalveZZ toward closedposition, the lever E6 is T moved counterclockwise to carry the roller G? in 22 to the closedposition. This movement continues until the metal segment s2 leaves the roller 41 and the roller t! strikes the dead spot segment 48. I

The opening and closing of the throttle 22 may be effected manually by moving the lever it in either direction' 'through a distance sufficient to cause, the pin-49 to engage either end surface of the slotlillf In this way, thesector 3! may be moved manually in either direction by moving .therthrottle setting lever 4B in case of failure of the servo motor.

The foregoing describes a known form" of servo motor operated throttle control used on some types of marine engines. In connection with this type of throttle control, I provide means responsive to' movement of the boat such as would cause Giland battery 59.

propeller to come out of the water for causing the throttle 22 to move almost instantly to closed position. To accomplish this, I provide a water vane switch 60 having a vane 6! adapted to re-' ceive the pressure of water as indicated by arrows E2. Vane 6! has an arm 63 carrying a contact 64 for engaging a contact 65 connected by manually operated switch El with relay magnet coil A spring 86 urges the con-. tact 6 into engagement with contact 65. Magnet coil 68 is part of a relay 70 having contacts H and 72 which connect battery 69 with a solenoid coil F3 for attracting a movable armature 14 'toward a stationary core 15. Armature M is connected by rod 16 with the bracket 36. A spring Tl compressed between a stationary part 18 and the yoke of the bracket 36 is normally effective with the surface 38 of sector 39.

While the boat is stationary or is moving slow-' ly, switch 51 is kept open "so that thegovernor is non-operative. When the speed of the boat is such that switch 60 is opened by Watenpressure onvane 5!, switch 61 is vclosed. When due to the bobbing of the boat on rough water, the vane 51 is out of the water, switch fill closes thereby rendering relay -10 operative to :cause contacts?! and E2 to close in order to-connect solenoid coil 13 with the battery 69 and efiect the attraction of the armature 14. -Wheel 31 is lifted from sector 39 and spring 2'! closes the throttle valve 22 to causethe engine to decelerate. Since vane 3| comesout of the water ahead of propeller P, the governor will have started to function ahead of movement of the propeller'entirely out of the water. Therefore the engine will begin to deceleratelas the propeller comes out of the water.

The water vane 6| is located preferably above the propeller P so that the water vane will come out of the water ahead of the propeller and thus anticipate the needs .for deceleration of the engine before the propeller comesout of the water.

Fig. 2 shows a modification in-which the means which is responsive to movement of the propeller.

out of the water controls engine ignition instead of engine throttle. The battery 69 is connected having normally closed contacts Ma and 12a or,

thru a" rotary switch which can be adjustedffor continuously passing current to the ignition apparatusor for interrupting ,flow'of current entirely or for providing ignition during .a portion of the duration of an engine cycle. This switch comprises a drum almountedon a shaft 82 and driven by a variable speed electric motor 83, the speed of which may be varied in accordance with throttle position if desired. The. cylindrical. surface of the drum 8| is provided with a. metal portion 84 and with a nonconducting portion 85,

- until the proportion is 100% when'the brush 88 is in the plane of portion 81'. When the brush 88 is moved toward the right the proportion of the time of one revolution of the drum during which the nonconducting portion 85 will beengaged by the brush 88 will increase until that proportion is 100% when the brush 8% is at the right end of the drum. Normally the circuit thru 7 cause the propeller to come out of the water, the

relay coil 68a becomes'excited in the manner de-j' scribed with respect. tothe relay coil '68 in Fig. 1. Then the contacts 'Haand 12a will separate wand the ignition circuitis then by way of the brush 81, the metal segment 84 and the brush.

88. The handles 80 can be set in some predetermined position which will determine just how many sparking impulses of the engine will be eliminated during an engine. cycle and thus the speed at which the engine will decelerate when r the propeller comesout of the water can be predetermined. -.Bycoordinating the haIIdIQ'QU-With. f the engine'throttle lever. as indicatedin .Fig; 2,

handle 90) can be established. I

While .the embodiments of the present vinven- I tion as hereindisclosed', constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all, coming within the scope I of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows: V f v 1. Apparatus for controlling the speed of the engine which drives the propeller of a motor boat comprising manuallycontrolled means for. determining thespeed of the engine while the propeller is submerged, means responsive toa motion of the boat which would cause the propeller I to come out of-thewater for temporarily voiding the effect of the manually controlled means and I causing the engine speed to be reduced, and including provisions responsiveto the forward motion of the'boat for withholdingthe function of voiding the effect of the manually. controlled means. p 2.- Apparatus .forcontrolling the speed of the engine Whichdrives the propeller of a motorboat comprising a throttle for controllingthe intake- .of the engine, a spring for closing thethrottle,

manually controlled means for determining-the throttle opening, andmeans responsive to a motion of'the boat which would cause the propeller" to come out of thewater for temporarily discon- .necting themanually controlled; means "from the throttle soas .to permit the spring to move the throttle toward closed position to cause th ensine speed to be reduced;

I 3.;Apparatus for controlling the speed of a multi-cylinder internal combustion-engine which drives .the' propeller of a'motor-boat comprising manuallycontrolled means for determining the speed ofthe engine whilethe propeller is submerged, ignition apparatus'for supplying sparking impulses to the engine, and means rendered operative in response to a. motion of the boat which would cause the propeller to come out of Y thewater for temporarily reducing the .propor-f tion of thetotal. time of .one complete engine cycle during which sparkinggimpulses are provid ed wherebyflthe engine speed is reduced.

4. Apparatus for controlling the speed of th ler is'submerged a normally submerged Water vane located above the propeller and attached to the boat and urged by water pressure in a certain direction while it is submerged, a spring for moving the vane the opposite direction when the vane comes out of the water, and means responsive to movement of the vane in the last mentioned direction for temporarily voiding the effect of the manually controlled means and for causing the engine speed to be reduced.

5. Apparatus for controlling the speed of the engine which drives the propeller of a motor boatually controlled means from the throttle so as to permit the spring to move the throttle toward closed position to cause the engine speed to be reduced.

6. Apparatus for controlling the speed of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine which drives the propeller of a motor-boat'comprising manually controlled means for determining the speed of the engine while the propeller is submerged, ignition apparatus for supplying sparking impulses to the engine, a normally sub-merged water vane located above the propeller and attached to the boat and urged by water pressure in a certain direction while it is submerged, a spring for moving the vane the opposite direction when the vane comes out of the water, and means responsive to movement of the Vane in the last mentioned direction for temporarily reducing the proportion of the total time of one complete engine cycle during which sparking impulses are provided whereby the engine speed is reduced.

EDWARD M. CLAYTOR. 

